Obama Election Didn't Mobilize Chicago's Black Wards

Alderman Emma Mitts worked hard in the days before the presidential election to ensure that citizens in her West Side ward would take advantage of the opportunity to vote for the country's first black president.

She encouraged constituents to participate in early voting, and pushed a ride-sharing program to make sure transportation difficulties didn't keep people from casting their ballot.

Even so, turnout in her majority black ward was lower than the city average, and less than during the 2004 presidential election. Her ward is not unique.

Despite the popular perception that Sen. Barack Obama won the presidency on a tidal wave of enthusiasm in the African-American community, turnout in Chicago's majority black wards was lower than in other wards, according to a Daily News analysis of voting data.

In majority black wards, 72 percent of registered voters turned out. In other wards, 74 percent voted.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[jacobomorales]

That was Mr Daly's and the city council's job!

[postman606]

Obama had a lock on Illinois, and the down ticket ballot wasn't that inspirational.

[thepoliticalcat]

This is not as much of a story as the fact that Obama won more of McCain's constituents than McCain did of Obama's (that would be none, of course).

[iPolitics]

Illinois isn't a swing state. Team Obama's GOTV was set up in swing states